Comment: The following article appeared in the Evening Standard of London of 23 March 2005.

Holiday ads banned from buses

"Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded the north... Greek Cypriots, who control the remaining two thirds of the island, claim their illegally-annexed properties are being used as holiday homes."

First came the row with the Italians over attempts to ban smelly food on
the Tube. Next came the ban on a poster for the horror film Creep
because it featured an image of a Tube passenger being murdered.

Now Ken Livingstone's transport authority has provoked controversy
again by refusing to carry £200,000 of advertising on buses for a
Mediterranean island holiday destination.

Transport for London turned down posters promoting north Cyprus
after receiving complaints from the capital's Greek Cypriot community.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded the
north in response to a military coup on the island, leaving it
separated by a "green line" patrolled by United Nations troops.

Greek Cypriots, who control the remaining two thirds of the
island, claim their illegally-annexed properties are being used as
holiday homes. They say attempts to promote the north - which is not
recognised internationally - as a tourist destination are offensive.

The adverts, featuring idyllic beaches, first appeared on buses
for two weeks in November.

This sparked an official complaint to TfL from Brian Coleman, the
Conservative chairman of the

Namik Korhan, London spokesman for the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus, said he had written to the Mayor to complain.

He said the area's economy was dependent on tourism. "This is an
offence to the Turkish Cypriot people in north Cyprus and the UK."
London Assembly whose Barnet and Camden constituent includes many Greek
Cypriots.

Now the North Cyprus Tourist Board has asked to re-run the
campaign and expand it across the Tube network. But TfL refused, saying
the adverts now breached its advertising policy because they had sparked
complaints.

A TfL spokesman said: "TfL recently declined a request by the
North Cyprus Tourism Board to carry advertising on the London
Underground and London buses. TfL is currently reviewing an appeal from
the NCTB asking for the decision to be reconsidered."

Yilmaz Kalfaoglu, tourism co-ordinator at the board's North Cyprus
Tourism Centre, said more than 100,000 Britons visited the area last
year.

He said: "We are not promoting the Turkish Republic of North
Cyprus. All we are trying to do is promote tourism. We don't have a
political objective."

But a spokesman for the Cyprus High Commission said tens of
thousands of Greek Cypriots found the promotion offensive as they had
been driven from their homes by the invasion.

The Mayor previously banned adverts for Sandals as it refused to
allow gay couples at its Caribbean resorts. The firm has since changed
its policy."